Studies have shown that electrical parameters such as voltage drop and surface resistance are in correlation with curvature of IPMC. The electrical current in the surface of an IPMC could be calculated from the movement of the counter ions inside the polymer backbone of the IPMC. By using FEM we can calculate voltage drop in the platinum electrodes along the IPMC sheet. To get the relation between the voltage drop and current density, we use Ramo-Shockley theorem. The calculated voltage could again be applied as an input to the base model to calculate the curvature. This results in the Finite Element Model of an IPMC, which could be used for simulating basic actuation of an IPMC and furthermore, dynamic voltage changes on the electrodes. The current paper proposes a dynamical model of an IPMC with surface resistance taken into account. Also the voltage drop along the surface and overall currents are studied.

Date Published: 31 March 2009
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 7289, Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials and Composites 2009, 72891E (31 March 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.815824

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7289:
Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials and Composites 2009
Zoubeida Ounaies; Jiangyu Li, Editor(s)